I’m still more or less sick. I was pretty dead yesterday, but Hero was here and took care of me. Now I’m slightly recovered and Beauty is mostly better, which is not the most ideal of combinations but such is life.
I’ve recently been praying quite a bit for a young friend of mine who is having a tough time with life. Nothing that strikes me as especially unusual, but she’s 16 and life is not easy when one is 16.
As I was praying for her, I kept coming back to the phrase “I am content…” Contentment isn’t necessarily what I’d pray for every teen, but it is true that it’s a useful skill to learn at that age.
Then the contentment got linked to the end of Romans 8: “I am convinced that neither death nor life, angels nor demons, things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation, is able to separate us from the Love of God.” The connection makes sense: a feeling of security is more or less necessary in order to be content with life. And feeling God’s love means that we feel valued and valuable, another area that is a struggle for most teens.
So it turned into this:
If you click through to the file, it’s sized to be used as a desktop background. Let me know if you want a different resolution. Or click here for the same design sized to be printed out as an 8×10 print.
I like it, but I’m not entirely convinced the colors are right. Any suggestions?
linking: Fireflies and Jellybeans Delightful Order Women Living Well
My Brain and Other Curiosities 
Stopping by from Women Living Well. I love this…colors and all! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to reading more on your blog!
8:38 I am persuaded – This is inferred from the thirty – fourth verse , in an admirable order: – Neither death shall hurt us; For Christ is dead: Nor life; ‘is risen Nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers; nor things pre – sent, nor things to come; is at the right hand of God: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature; maketh intercession for us. Neither death – Terrible as it is to natural men; a violent death in particular, Rom 8:36. Nor life – With all the affliction and distress it can bring, Rom 8:35; or a long, easy life; or all living men. Nor angels – Whether good (if it were possible they should attempt it) or bad, with all their wisdom and strength. Nor principalities, nor powers – Not even those of the highest rank, or the most eminent power. Nor things present – Which may befal us during our pilgrimage; or the whole world, till it passeth away. Nor things to come – Which may occur either when our time on earth is past, or when time itself is at an end, as the final judgment, the general conflagration, the everlasting fire. Nor height, nor depth – The former sentence respected the differences of times; this, the differences of places. How many great and various things are contained in these words, we do not, need not, cannot know yet. The height – In St. Paul’s sublime style, is put for heaven. The depth – For the great abyss: that is, neither the heights, I will not say of walls, mountains, seas, but, of heaven itself, can move us; nor the abyss itself, the very thought of which might astonish the boldest creature. Nor any creature – Nothing beneath the Almighty; visible enemies he does not even deign to name. Shall be able – Either by force, Rom 8:35; or by any legal claim, Rom 8:33, and c. To separate us from the love of God in Christ – Which will surely save, protect, deliver us who believe in, and through, and from, them all.
I have absolutely no idea what this is. But it doesn’t appear to be spam. I don’t think. So I let it be.